Picker stick guide



y 1945' I E. c. NICHOLS 2,379,589

PICKER STICK GUIDE Filed Feb. 7. 1944 INVENTOR.

A T TORNE Y EDWARD C. NICHOLS Patented July 3, 1945 PICKER STICK um]: Edward C. Nichols, Upton, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale,

ration of Maine Mass., a corpo- Application February 7, 1e44, Serial No. 521,363

5Clalms. (cl. 139-255) The present invention relates generally to automatic looms and, as illustrated herein, relates more particularly tot 'provements in chutes for ejected filling carriers 'for'such looms.

During the filling replenishing operation of automatic looms, the ejected filling carrier may fall tipfirst into the picker stick slot and'will lodge thereinj During the first'pick after replenishinggthe pickerstick will strike the improperly: positioned filli-ng' 'fcarri er and severe'and serious damage may be caused to the loom.

Oneobject ofjthepresentin'vention is to pro vide means which will pr'event. an ejected filling carrier or bobbin iromialling intothe picker stick slot. To this end, the loom is provided with mally cause the tip end of the ejected filling carrier to fall away from the .picker stick slot and hencebe prevented. from. falling therein. a,

By this construction, dangerous andv damaging contact ofithe picke ing carrier is prevented.

With the above ,andpthefr. obieotsiand features in view, the invention will now be described with particular referenceito the accompanying draw.-,

ing which illustrate aipreiferred. embodiment of the invention. and in which;

Fig. 1 is a view in fron elevation the end of. a lay having one. form of the invention applied thereto;

the linelIIloiFigil; and,

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, taken along the line IlI III ofl ig. 2.

Fig. 2- isa view, partly in section, taken along I The illustrated embodiment of f the invention is shown as applied to; an automatic loom wherein the filling replenishing ,mechanis'm operates when the filling ontheold filling carrier in the operating shuttle is broken or: exhausted to eject the old filling carrier by inserting a new filling carrier inthe shuttle. Tlfeishuttle box in which 'to' be reciprocated into'engagement with a new filling" carrier 12 a'ndto'eject an old filling carrier 14 on which the filling is either broken or substantially exhausted.

The lay I6 is provided with '"a' 'shuttlebox (not shown) in which a shuttle I8 is received. The shuttle I8 is provided with a spring 20 for rer stick with the ejectedfill '15 a filling carrier chute O r guide which' will norleasably supporting the bobbinor filling car,-

:. l6. The'plate" "is cut away'to provide aslot 24 in which'the pickerstick moves and through which the ejectedfilling carrier falls -'during the replenishing operation. -The lay I6 is cut away below and forwardly of the slot 24 as is usual check strap 28-is provided forchecking the pick er stick. The checkstrap '2 8' is normally received between stationary fingers 30-and an adjustable finger 32. The fingers 30 project downwardly and the finger 32 is staggered relatively thereto" and thus exerts a retarding effect on thecheclr strap- 28 as the picker-stick moves the strap' through the fingers as thetpicker stick approaches the inner or outer limits of its movement.

The transferrer Ill-is shown'in'Figs. 1 and 2, at the conclusion of the-filling replenishing operation'; The ejected bobbin 14 has been forced out of the spring jaws 20 in such a manner that it strikesthe chute '34whic'h deflects the bgbbin I 4 in a bobbin box or otherreceptacle provided for the purpose.- -Thechute34 is secured to'the outer end of the lay in usual-manner. The construction and operation of theparts so far describedare well known-in the art and need not I on, it is apparent that an occasional filling carrier may be ejectedso that the tip thereof falls I into the picker stick slot. The slot is of substantially less width than the diameter. of the butt and hence the filling carrier will remain in the slot and will be struck by the picker stick. Only very rarely does'this condition arise but when the tip of the;filling carrierfallsinto the picker stick slot substantial damage tothe loom often results. 2

- The present invention provides means which the picker stick guide is held in position by a cap screw 44 which is threaded into a rear- 1 wardly projecting boss 46 as is usual in constructions of this type. 1 Q

The downwardly extending portion 40 is inclined inwardly and rearwardly to such an extent that the tip of the ejected filling carrier outer edge portion to engage the shank of said filling carrier to deflect said tip away from said picker stick slot.

will be projected forwardly. The degree of inclination of the portion 40 is illustrated most clearly in Fig.- 3where the sheet metal chute plate 38 is shown in section as inclined inwardly and rearwardly toward the lay'fli. By this construction, the shank of the ejected filling. carrier will engage the outer edge of the plate 38' and the butt of the filling carrier will engage the surface'of the plate asubstantial distance inwardlyof the outer edge thereof. As a result,

the tip of the filling carrier is tilted forwardly away from the picker stick slot and danger of the filling carrier entering said'slot is consequently eliminated. v

'The metal plate or sheet 38 extends upwardly above the upper edge of the portion M and terminates closely adjacent to the top surface of the lay l6. The sheet :38 is of such thickness that it may be sprung or otherwise shaped to fit closely against the wall of the'picker slot 26. As

illustrated the lay l8 '(Fig. 2) is cut away or bevelled slightly to provide a bearing forrthe upper end portion of thesheet 38. The inner edge of'the sheet 38'- is provided with an upturned flange 48 which'prevents excessive and undesired inward movement of thefilling carriers as they are being ejected and deflected into the receiving can. v I i By :the use of the above construction the ejected bobbin orfilling carrier will strike against theplate 38 and will not engaged-he wooden lav' I6. Thus excessive wear on the lay is prevented and substantially uniform deflection of the elected filling carriers is insured. The chute member or plate 3 8 may readily and conveniently be replaced whenit becomes worn,

Having thus described my invention what 'I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnite'd- States is: 7

1. An automatic loom havin a lay, a shuttle box on said lay having a Slorl; in itS'bottom through which a filling carrier may be ejected, a picker stick guide fixed to said lay below said shuttle box. and forming with said lay a slot for a picker stickymeans for transferring-a filling carrier to said shuttle and ejecting a'filling carrier on which the filling is substantially exhausted, and means supported on said picker stick guide and having an' inwardly and rearwardly inclined surface against which the filling carrier is ejected, said surface being so arranged that the outer edge portion of said surface will engage the shank of said ejected filling carrier intermediate of its ends and the 'butt of said filling carrier to deflect the tip of said filling carrier away from said picker stick slot. 1

' 2. In an automatic filling replenishingloom, a

, stick guide mounted on said lay below said shuttle box to provide a picker stick slot between said lay and said guide, means for transferring afilling carrier into said shuttle and ejecting a filling carrier on which the filling is substantially exhausted, and means on said picker stick guidehaving a surface arranged'to be engaged by said ejected filling carrier, said surface being inclineddownwardly and forwardly away from said shuttlebox and also having a portion thereof inclined inwardly and rearwardly to provide a: portion for engaging the shank of said ejected filling-carrier and to deflect the tip of said carrier upwardly-and forwardly away from said picker stick slot.

4. An automatic loom having alay, a shuttle; box on said lay having a slot in its bottom through which a filling carrier may be ejected, a picker stick guide fixed to said lay below said shuttle box, and forming with said lay a slot for apicker stick, means for transferring a filling carrier-to said shuttle and ejecting a filling-carrier on whichthe filling is substantially exhausted, said picker stick guide-haVing-an inner downwardly projectsing portion having an upper surface inclined generally downwardly and forwardlyv and also. inwardly and rearwardly to provide aportion-ar ranged to beengagedby theshank of the ejected filling carrier to defiectithe tip of the filling. car-. rier away from the picker stick guide, andlmea'ns; fixed to said surface and projecting upwardly therefrom and in contact with the vertical sun 'face of the lay below said shuttle box slot, said means being effective to' prevent wear on the wooden lay end and to provide a smooth continu-: ous surface for deflecting the ejected filling car'- rier. t v V,

5; An automatic loom having a lay,.a shuttle box on said lay having a slotin its bottom through which a filling carrier may be ejected, a picker stick guide fixed to the laybelowsaid shuttle box and spaced therefromto providea picker stick slot. means for transferring a filling carrier to said shuttle and ejecting afilling carrier on which the filling is substantially exhausted, said picker stick guide having an inner downwardly projecting end-portion having an- 

